[hef19898]

I am a big fan of both, word-of-mouthbreferalls and sttict hirijg processes, read Amazon (without leetcode, I am no dev). If youbsomeone good, get them the first invite for the phone screening or even an on-site interview. But then recuse yourself from the hiring process, don't interview, don't participate in the decision making. That way, you are not the only one influencing the hiring, ypu just made it easier for someone to get the first foot in the door.

Of course this isn't perfect, people might be biased to please higher ups or collegues by prefering those referral candidates. Or you might end up indirectly influencing thebhiring decision, intentionally or not. But still better than some AI based CV screening or pure nepotism.